Automatic circuit making and breaking device for automobiles and the like.



No; 823,811. PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

A. L. BIKER.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED 0018,1903.

Fig.

Witnesses: InUqnior: F 1 & Lawn/mp flndPeI/UL. Biker.

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- UNITED STATES, PATE oFEIoE.

ANDREW RIKER, or ,BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICGUT, ASSIGNOR To THE LOCOMOBILE COMPANY or AMERICA, or NEW YORK, N. .Y., A ooR- PORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE FOR'AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1906.

Application filed October 8,1903. Serial N0- l76,223-

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, ANDREW L. BIKER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented an Imrovement in Automatic Circuit Making and V reaking Devices for Automobiles and the Like, of which the following descri tion, in connection with. the accompanying rawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawin s representing like parts.

.'\ y invention aims to improve automatic devices fonmaking and breaking electric cirarmature has been moved to interrupt or break the circuit between it and its cooperating fixed contact. An objection to devices of this general character is that they lack a certain I ositiveness of action which is essential to t e production of strong and eflective sparking. The resilient nature of the contact arm or member tends to produce im= perfect contacts and only partial or'imperfec't breaks, with the result that the armature and its connected parts partake of a vibrating or buzzing movement without at any time sufiiciently making or breaking the circuit to provide a clear and efficient sparking. My invention overcomes this objection and insures always a pronounced making and breaking of the circuit with highly-eflicient' sparking by means which will best be understood from a description of one form of device illustrating the same and shown in the accompanying drawings.

'In the device illustrated the armature always partakes of 'a definite movement in both directions and brin s up against a fixed stop at the end of each 0 its movements, and the contact member, which is moved or controlled by the armature, likewise has a sharp and positive movement free from the lag' or indefiniteness which characterizes aresilient member.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 in side elevation, illustrates one form of device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a lefthand end view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a diagram illustrating one use of my improved device in connection "with automobile-engines of the internal-combustion type.

In the particular embodiment of my inven-- tion selected for illustration herein and.

shown in the drawings, A is a suitable support, preferably of insulating material, the.

same being provided with a post a, to which is suitably securedthe armature-carrier 6, shown as a flat spring; and to which is attached the armature c of the electromagnet C, the core of which protrudes through the support A. The movement ofthe armature and its carrier in an outward or retractile d1- vrectionislimited by a sto shown as the head of a stud d, carried y said support. This same stud may also provide an mner stop (1 to limit the inward orattracted movement of the said armature, althoughthe movement of thear'mature in this direction. I

Above the armature-carrier b, and it mayv be mounted upon the same post a therewith,- is the circuit-controlling or contact member! 0, shown as a flat spring, perforated at" its free end to receive loosely therethrough the shank of a stud f, fast upon the free end of the armatureor its carrier 6, the head of said stud f overlying the perforation in the contact member e, so that inward movement of said stud will by engagement of its head with said contact member cause the latter also to be moved. This contact member 0 at its outer face is usuallyprovided with a contact-point g, which is in normal engagement with the fixed, though adjustable, screw h, mounted in a suitable yoke h, secured to IOC away from the contact member ,e, as shown. Under these conditions if the magnet C be energized its armature will be attracted and will acquire considerable movement and momentum before the head of the stud f meets and engages the contact-arm e, so that the said arm 6 is given a quick, positive, and pronounced movement away from the con tact-screw h, breaking the circuit in a decisive manner, such as will roduce a pronounced and effective spar The inward movement of the armature is positively stopped, as described, although ordinarily a positive stop or limit to the inward or attracted movement of said armature is not lllglly im ortant.

pon t e breaking of the magnetic circuit, I

as described, the magnet O is 'denergized and its armature 0 under the influence of the resilient nature of its carrier is retracted until stopped positively by the head of the stud d; but before the armature has completed its retractile movement the contact member e meets and is stopped by contact with the screw it, further retractile movement of the armature causing the head of the stud f to.

rise above the contact member e to the osition shown 1n Fig. l, the distance ofsaid ead above said contact member having to be made up again upon the next succeeding op posite movement before the contact member e is moved. This movement of the armature beyond or independently of the contact member e, permitted in the present instance bythe lost motion between the head ofthe stud f and the contact member, permits me to employ a positive stop to limit the outward or retractile movement of the armature without danger of impairing the efficiency of the contact or engagement between the contactpoint 9 and contact-screw h, and by thus causing the said armature always to vibrate against a fixed stop d I obtain a certainty of movement with'fre'edom from imperfect or incomplete vibration, which is wholly lacking in devices for this purpose as heretofore constructed.

The lost motion between the armature and contact member or the movement of the armature after the contact member has been sto ped insures a closing of the circuit at eac vibration for a sufficient time to produce a pronounced spark when the circuit is next broken, and the break when it occurs. is decisive and pronounced, because the armature 1s already in motion and under considerable momentum before it engages the contactarm.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated diagrammatically one method of connecting up my im-' proved device, it being indicated by the let ter C, 1n connection with each of a plurality of spark-coils l 2, arranged in circuits "3 6,

automobiles and other which include a generator B and a circuit controlling device p",attached to theien ine, for instance, of an automobile, and w 'ch closes the circuits of the several coils in successicn as re uired, there being one coil for each of the iour cylinders of the en ine. Sparking points are marked 13 14. henever any of the circuits 3 6 is closed, the automatic making and breaking device C is set in operation to produce a rapid succession of impulses through theclosed circuit, which 7 by their decisive nature produce certain and sufficient sparking between the points 13 14, thus insuring successful ignition of the motive-power mixture within the engine-cyliners.

My invention is not limited to the particu-" lar embodiment thereof here shown for illustrative purposes, but may be varied within the spirit and scope of the invention; nor is my invention restricted to any particular use, although it is especially useful in con nection with internaLcombustion engines for purposes or wherever a sparking coil is used.

Havingdescribed one embodiment of my invention, without limiting myself to details, What .I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automatic circuit making and breaking device containing an electromagnet, its

armature, and aresilient carrier therefor, a

;res1l1cntlyn1ounted contact member, a head- ,ed connection between sa1darmaturecarr1er and contact member, and retractile stops for said armature-carrier and contact member,

and arranged to provide a lost motion -be-,

tween the said-headed connection and said contact member. I

2. The. combination with a sparking coil and spark-points; of a circuit making and breaking device in circuit therewith and comprising anelectromagnet, its armature hav- .mg a positive retractile stop and a contact meinber moved by said armature and having also a positive retractile stop with a lost moticn-between said armature and-contact membell; upon attracted movement of one by the ct e ing device containing an electromagnet, an elastically-mounted armature member, a contact memberfand means for causing engagement between said armature member and contact member after the former has acquired an a preciable momentum, said armature mem or having) a relatively great mass in comparison wit its resistancetc the attraction of the armature, thereby quickly to acquire its momentum. 4, automatic circuit making and break ing devicecomprising an electromagnet, a r sihently-mcunted armature member, a posi- IIO 3. An automatic circuit making and breaktive stop for the retractile movement thereof, name to this specification in the presence of and a' resiliently-mounted contact member two subscribing witnesses. adapted to be engaged by said armature member after the lmtial movement of the latter, ANDREW BIKER 5 said armature member be' between the Witnesses:

magnet and said contact mem r. WM. S. TEEL,J1.,

In testimony whereof I have signed my Fnmmmox L. EMERY. 

